Can the Dolphins Trust Liam Eichenberg At Center?
Dec 3, 2023; Landover, Maryland, USA; Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa (1) celebrates with Dolphins offensive tackle Liam Eichenberg (74) and Dolphins offensive tackle Robert Hunt (68) after throwing a touchdown pass against the Washington Commanders during the second quarter at FedExField. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports
Connor Williams only played six snaps at center before leaving Hard Rock Stadium with an apparent leg injury during the Miami Dolphins’ marquee Monday Night Football matchup against the Tennessee Titans. The prognosis was a season-ending ACL tear for Williams, who has been the Dolphins’ best offensive lineman and is the highest-graded center in the league.
Needless to say, there is no one-for-one replacement for Williams. Filling in for the injured Williams is Liam Eichenberg, who has some experience playing center and both guard spots. This wouldn’t be the first time Eichenberg has filled in for Williams. Eichenberg got his first start at center after Williams suffered a minor injury during the third quarter in Week 3’s game against the Denver Broncos. Eichenberg has since started a total of five games at center in relief of Williams.
The big question that still remains is whether or not the Dolphins can fully trust Eichenberg as the starting center, or if the team should explore other options. Eichenberg‘s greatest strength is his run blocking. He ranks sixth among all interior offensive lineman in run-block win rate. For what it’s worth, he was serviceable in lieu of Williams against the Titans. Eichenberg only allowed two pressures and his pass-blocking efficiency was 97.6 out of 100.
Throughout his career, Eichenberg has never really fully settled into a single position. At Notre Dame, he was an undersized left tackle who projected better as a guard in the NFL due to his smaller size and run-blocking prowess. He was a backup his rookie year before becoming the Dolphins’ starting left guard in 2022. In 2023, he lost his starting job at left guard to Isaiah Wynn and was relegated to backup center as the Dolphins continued to try and find a place on the offensive line for the former second-rounder.
His PFF grades this season haven’t been all that inspiring either. Eichenberg has a run-blocking grade of 54.5, a pass-blocking grade of 47.6, and his overall grade sits at just 50.5. For a direct comparison, Williams’ run-blocking grade is 36 points higher and his pass-blocking grade is 24.1 points higher.
That’s not to say that Eichenberg should be expected to play at an elite level like Williams did, but the drop-off between those two players is significant, and it’s going to have a major impact on how the Dolphins go about protecting Tua Tagovailoa through their play-calling on offense. As a unit, the Dolphins’ offensive line ranks fifth in run-block win rate, but just 28th in pass-block win rate.
Given that the Dolphins are coached by Mike McDaniel, who is a part of the Kyle Shanahan coaching tree, I expect them to try and lean into the running game even more in next week’s game against the New York Jets with Eichenberg starting at center. It makes sense considering that Eichenberg is better at run blocking than he is at pass blocking. Plus, establishing the run would also help alleviate pressure on Tua, and fewer pass attempts means less of a chance that the star QB gets hurt after being sacked. It would also allow the team to shift the focus away from Tyreek Hill, who is day-to-day with an ankle injury.
However, the main concern with a run-first approach is that play-calling would get too predictable and one-dimensional like it did last week against the Titans. Should the Dolphins find themselves in a position where they lose confidence in Eichenberg’s ability to start at center, they could sign a veteran free agent to help fill the void left by Williams. Miami should do this as soon as possible so that whoever the Dolphins potentially sign has four weeks to learn the offense before the playoffs.
One name worth keeping an eye on is Ben Jones. The former Titans center is the best available free agent at his position, and hasn’t ruled out signing with a team. Last season, Jones only allowed 10 pressures in 12 games and had a pass-blocking efficiency rating of 98.4. Jones’ PFF run-blocking grade in 2022 was 73.7, his pass-blocking grade was 68.4, and his overall grade was 71.9. He’d be a solid veteran addition for any team.
The Dolphins are set to play a stingy New York Jets defense that has two great players in Quinnen Williams and Quinton Jefferson manning the middle. They’ll need Eichenberg to really step up and show the Dolphins why they drafted him in the second round in the 2021 draft. It wouldn’t be hyperbole to say that this is a career-defining moment for Eichenberg, who may have a short leash if he doesn’t get the job done at center for a Dolphins team that is in win-now mode.
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